Casinos for Seniors
Online gambling is on the rise among all age groups, seniors included. There are a few little known deals available to this segment of the population as well as specific risks.
Gambling Demographics
According to a study conducted by Eastern Michigan University:
Just over half, 52% of Internet gamblers have a bachelors degree or higher.
Another 27% of internet gamblers have a high school diploma or less.
56% of online gamblers are married.
92% of Internet gamblers have online access at home. This includes senior living centers.
Almost all, 95%, of all Internet gamblers have shopped online. They are typically much more trusting of Internet security than non-gamblers. Many online gamblers do their banking online.
People that start gambling online are more likely to continue online and are not usually any more drawn to land based casinos than non-Internet gamblers.
Seniors are not a large part of the online gambling demographic.
The typical gambler is Internet-savvy, online frequently, likes to try new things and doesn’t go to online casinos as a way to save time, but rather enjoys the online experience more than land based.
Because seniors aren’t as trusting of technology as younger generations, they make up a small percentage of the online gaming population.
Men are about twice as likely than women to gamble, they enjoy a rush and thrill seeking.
Women that do gamble online tend to enjoy the communing aspect, so they’re likely to join online communities that have active chat rooms.
50Plus, an online magazine for seniors, reports that seniors are at higher risk of becoming addicted to land based gambling, probably due to the added incentives the casinos offer in addition to the socializing aspect. Seniors are, however, more likely than other age groups to know what their limits are and stay within them when gambling online.
The Mature Market, an online news source that concentrates on news for seniors and baby boomers, reported survey results about seniors that gamble. They reported that 95% of U.S. adults who are online have never used an online casino. 97% have never bet on sports online.
Online Casinos Offer Senior Discount
There are a number of casinos that cater to seniors or are considered senior friendly. WiredSeniors.com, a website that caters to tech-savvy older adults, has a complete listing of their favorites at:
http://wiredseniors.com/seniorssearch/directory/page.asp?cn=611.
Senior Casinos lists some of their favorite online gambling sites, as well. Among the top online casinos, Starlight and Vegas Slot appeared on both gambling online recommendation lists.
Starlight doesn’t offer a discount for seniors, per se, but they do offer credits for new players. One such offer is a 100% match of the first deposit, up to $100. Vegas slots offers free play and a bonus with each deposit. Both are easy to use with simple interfaces.
There are free casinos available as well. A free gambling site list is available online at http://www.freecasinodollars.com/. This is one of the best gambling resources for finding free money to play with.
Quality Gambling Sites
To find a quality gambling site, look for one without a lot of jerky, flashy graphics. A casino that doesn’t spend the time or money to post quality ads aren’t worth their weight in cyber-gold.
Quality is also reflected in the number of games, rooms and types of betting they offer. Superior online casinos usually offer a dozen games or so and various limit tables.
Customer service should be fast to reply to requests on a quality gambling website. Look for links on the home page and game pages to contact customer support.
Top Gambling School
Without question, the top gambling school that offers online lessons is at Gambling Planet. There’s no charge for this easy to follow course. You don’t have to sign up anywhere, there are no downloads required and the pages are easy to read since there are no pop-ups.
There are 20 lessons in all. The first six lessons cover first-timer tips to risks to consider to how to choose an online casino. Lessons eleven through sixteen cover rules of individual games from slots to baccarat to poker. The final four lessons are on the subjects of cheating, betting systems, payouts and do’s and don’ts.
Before You Start Betting
There are rules of etiquette at all casinos, land based and online. Don’t say or do anything online that you wouldn’t think of doing in person. Consideration and courtesy are key to making friends while gambling.
Become familiar with the game before running to the casino. You can play at online casinos for free or check out other game sites, like Pogo or Yahoo games. Once you are in a real money betting game, you are expected to know the rules.
Don’t play against someone at the same location. You are required to inform the gaming operator if there are more than one account holders that use the same computer or are at the same location. Betting against someone at your location can cause both of you to be removed from the site.
Gambling is for fun and entertainment. If you feel you may have a problem, visit Gamblers Anonymous or National Council of Problem Gambling. Online casinos offer a great deal of fun for seniors.
Other Resources
Gambling Demographics: http://www.americangaming.org/Industry/faq_detail.cfv?id=60
50Plus: http://en.50plus.com/?documentID=7921&CabinetID=369&LibraryID=112
Mature Market: http://www.thematuremarket.com
Wired Seniors: http://wiredseniors.com/seniorssearch/directory/page.asp?cn=611
Senior Casinos: http://www.seniorscasinos.com/
Starlight Casino: http://www.starluckcasino.com/
Vegas Slots: http://www.nodepositcasinos.com/
Free Casinos: http://www.freecasinodollars.com/
Top Gambling School: http://www.gamblingplanet.org/
Pogo: http://www.pogo.com
Yahoo Games: http://games.yahoo.com
Gamblers Anonymous: http://www.gamblersanonymous.org/
National Council of Problem Gambling: http://www.ncpgambling.org/
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